


There’s Always Been a Rainbow Hanging Over Your Head

by orphan_account



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, American Revolution, Blood and Injury, Canon Era, Canonical Character Death, Closeted Character, Coming Out, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Gen, Historical Inaccuracy, Implied Sexual Content, Internalized Homophobia, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-12
Updated: 2020-02-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:47:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22668787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: The story of John Laurens, from when he met Peggy Schuyler, to his untimely death.
Relationships: Alexander Hamilton/Elizabeth "Eliza" Schuyler, Alexander Hamilton/John Laurens, John Laurens & Margaret "Peggy" Schuyler, John Laurens/Margaret "Peggy" Schuyler
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Title inspiration: Rainbow by Kacey Musgraves.
> 
> This fanfic’s gonna be ghostwritten by my endless love for Anthony Ramos and Jasmine Cephas Jones.

”Are you alright, Laurens?”

”Mhm...” The taller man hummed, his head lolling on Alexander’s shoulder. “How many times do I have to ask you to call me John?”

”Sorry.”

Nothing but awkward silence filled the carriage as it bounced through the roads of New York. John was attempting to get a much needed nap after two long, stressful weeks. Alexander, on the other hand, was scribbling out words on his correspondences. A ball was no excuse to discontinue his work for Washington.

“Can I tell you something?”

“Of course, anything.” Alexander responded, looking up from his work.

”If I’m being honest, I wanted to stay at camp.” John shrugged, his hazel eyes fixated on the cloudy sky. “I might’ve just stayed at camp, but when I wrote to my father about my plans, he got furious with me, saying that he had already arranged a marriage.”

“With whom?”

A smirk pulled itself out from the corner’s of the taller man’s mouth as finally faced Alexander. “Peggy Schuyler.”

Alexander’s eye lit up. “You’re kidding!”

”I’m serious! He wrote to Mr. Schuyler prior, begging him to let me marry her, and he agreed!” John beamed. “But... but what if she doesn’t fancy me, and she becomes miserable? I don’t want to disappoint her!”

”Oh? Is the strong, courageous John Laurens of all people getting cold feet?” Alexander teased. John only stuck out his tongue in response. “C’mon, you’ll be fine!” The aide-de-camp nudged his best friend. “I can’t think of a single woman immune to your charms.

John chucked, a smile returning to his freckled face. “Thanks, Alex.” He yawned. “How long do we have until we reach the city again?”

”I would assume another hour or so.”

John sighed, his eyes fluttering closed. “Wake me when we arrive...”

“Good night, my dear John.”

John smiled, trying to suppress the feeling of bliss within him. The feeling that told him he’d rather have Alexander over Peggy, or anything woman, for that matter.

He fell asleep just as the snow started, with his head resting on his best friend’s shoulder.


	2. This is Not Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John finds a friend in the youngest Schuyler sister, but nothing more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Type “wumbo” in the comments just cause (along with anything other things you’d like to say. I love your comments!).

_**December, 1780** _

John Laurens could only sit in his chair, drumming his fingers on the soft, pure white table cloth. His eyes darted across the ballroom, looking for his friends.

Oh, there they were!

Lafayette was sulking away from a lady who most likely just turned him down, Hercules was- Oh dear, it seems that he was stealing every bottle of Sam Adams he got his hands on, and Alexander was having a nice chat with Angelica Schuyler.

That reminded him of his task at hand: Woe over Peggy Schuyler.

The only problem was that he’d seen Angelica more times than he can count, Eliza a couple of times, but he’d never laid eyes on the youngest sister.

His eyes caught Aaron Burr instead, and that gave him an idea.

”Burr?”

”Hm?” The man looked up from his wine glass.

”Have you seen Peggy Schuyler, by any luck?”

Burr pointed to his left. “You see the lady in the yellow dress?”

John looked on, and there was, indeed, a young girl with curly brown hair in a bright yellow dress, turning down a most likely intoxicated soldier.

“Oh, I see her now.” He stood up, and began making his way across the ballroom “Thanks, Burr!”

—

“Little rat.” Peggy muttered. Lucky for her, that man wasn’t John Laurens, the soldier she was supposed to marry come spring. She wasn’t excited about being forced into this marriage either way. She’d never even heard of the man!

”Pardon me, miss.”

The petite girl swung around, and felt her breath get taken away.

A tall, young man with freckles covering his face with long, curly brown hair pulled back into a ponytail wanted to speak with her. “I’m Officer John Laurens.” He bowed. “It’s my understanding that are parents have arranged for us to elope, correct?”

This was the man she was supposed to marry.

If her mother hadn’t taught her how to act in front of men, she’d be weeping with joy.

But instead, she smiled and took John’s hand, and they became one with the crowd of dancing couples.

”So what’s the war like?”

”Just as you’d expect.” John replied, narrowly dodging a lady passing by. “Fighting, restless days and nights, injury, just pure chaos.”

”Well, I’d like to thank you for all your service.” Peggy commented, her smile never fading.

The soldier smiled back, making his lover’s heart skip a beat. “Anything for you, love.

While Peggy was having the time of her life, John seemed... distracted.

—

John couldn’t control himself from watching Alexander.

He was holding Eliza in his arms, and staring calmly into her big, innocent brown eyes. The woman in question looked like she could just burst with excitement.

To them, it was happiness.

To John, it served as another reminder that, although Peggy seemed friendly, the feeling he felt towards her weren’t and would never be true love.

Those feelings were for Alexander.

”Come, John, follow me to the balcony.”

Peggy took his hand, and led him to one of the many balconies aligning the walls of the ballroom.

”Are you alright, John?”

”Yes, it’s just that fighting a war can get so exhausting.”

That was obviously a lie, but what was John supposed to say? “Oh, I’m sorry but I’m smitten with my best friend and not you”?

”I have an idea!” Peggy announced. “What if we snuck out and had some alone time?

”No! Your parents might notice!

Peggy groaned. “Come on, John! I can tell you’re not having the slightest bit of fun.”

John sighed. “Fine.”

”Yippee!” The Schuyler sister cheered, grabbing her lover’s arm yet again. “Alright, to the garden!”

And so they went, with Peggy ecstatic, and John still desperately trying to push Alexander out of his head.


End file.
